Love Between Earth and Heaven
by chieripot
Summary: Chapter 2 UP! /as promised, despite any virus ^-^/ AxM. Misao ends up in heaven and meets Aoshi-sama there.
1. Chapter 1

Love Between Earth and Heaven  
  
By Anime no Miko  
  
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This is my first ... no, not my first fic =b ... but my first Aoshi / Misao fic. Hope it turns out to be as good as Noa's. (Noa, yours are simply great! *waves*) Yeah...it's alternative universe too!  
  
Now Misao will have a sound reason to say: "Ah Aoshi-sama!!" hehehee...  
  
Disclaimer: Anime no Miko does not own Rurouni Kenshin. *sighs* ... She wouldn't mind owning Aoshi though ... *daydreams of Aoshi in ...* ... not in the least. =^.^=  
  
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Chapter 1: Not Dead Yet  
  
.~*~. Tokyo National Hospital, Room 63A .~*~.  
  
"Did you contact her family?" asked the man in a weary voice. He had done everything that was in his hands, everything humanly possible. He turned his face towards the nurse and from the look on her face, he suspected what the answer might be.  
  
"Iie. We've been trying but nobody answers at the phone number we found in her purse. She doesn't even have a medical insurance hence her name doesn't appear in our database." the chubby nurse explained quickly as if wanting to be dismissed from the room. She had seen many deaths before and she hadn't flinch, but this ... this was different, and she hated it. In all the years she had been working as a nurse, she still hadn't got the likes, if we may, for patients in comma, let alone patients full of youth in coma. And that was the case of the young woman who laid motionless on the hospital bed after having underwent more than three hours of surgery in the emergency room, at the edge of death.  
  
Dr. Genzai was going to say something but the nurse, being as effective as she was and having worked with him for years, read his mind and answered right away. "The National Medical Database has no register whatsoever of her either. Makimachi Misao's medical history is ... obscure." stating that, she excused herself and left the room hurridely, the tears forming on her eyes blurring her vision.  
  
The old man felt sorry for Misao too. So full of youth, of life ... so full of future. "Ayame, Suzume ... " he said lovingly at the picture hanging on his keychain. Those little girls were his granddaughters, his treasures, and he loved them more than his life. He could imagine just too well how would Misao's family react, and his heart ached for that.  
  
"Dr. Genzai?" a woman knocked on the door. That brought him out of trance.  
  
"Come on in, Megumi." he said wiping a few tears away. "Nurse Masaki couldn't find any information in the databases, did you have better luck? Found anything?"  
  
"Oh I did." she replied, holding a piece of paper on her right hand.  
  
"I am afraid they aren't pleasant though." said Megumi, tossing back a lock of her ebony hair. The old doctor looked up in anticipation.  
  
Flashback  
  
.~*~. Tokyo Police Department, Room - Unknown .~*~.  
  
"Saitou." the man spoke dryly on the speaker, phone on stand-by mode. A cigarrete was clutched between the fingers on his right hand, and his left hand was busied turning around documents resting neatly on the top of his ample desk.  
  
"I need all information possible on the relatives of a patient." she said, always fast to the point.  
  
"I have better things to do right now. I fear I won't be able to help you out this time, so--" He was really busy and besides this woman didn't even say 'please'. Saitou Hajime was definitely not famous for being a favors' Santa.  
  
"This is not a request, Saitou. I'm not playing around, this is crucial. Send me a fax when you're done." she cut him off, anticipating what he was going to say.  
  
Saitou laughed inwardly. This woman had the nerves to order him out. A woman above all! Oh, the ironies of life!  
  
"What's it?" she asked impatiently when he didn't reply. "Sources not good enough to find the information?" she said taking care in stressing the 'not good enough' part. Ouch! Saitou's ego hurt. One point for the woman.  
  
"Kitsune ..." he said, wolf's eyes narrowing. It was his turn to strike.  
  
"Don't call me like that! Damn! You know I hate it!" Megumi yelled at him, storming out, pretty annoyed. Hit! One for Saitou. Tied. He let her cool down on the other side before proceeding.  
  
"The name, baka." he smirked.  
  
"Name?"  
  
"I need a name to start the search, or did you think I learned to read minds or something during vacations, which by the way I don't have?"  
  
"Argghh!!!" 1 fox lady, 2 for the Mibu.  
  
"Well?? I don't have all day, fox lady." He could almost sense her upcoming outburst. 'Three, two ...' he counted in his mind. It never came.  
  
She inhaled deeply. She wasn't going to let Saitou win another round on her expenses. "Misao Makimachi." Megumi managed to informed calmly.  
  
"Good." he said and hang up the phone. 'She didn't fall for it. Kitsune indeed.'  
  
~..~ 5 minutes later ~..~  
  
Saitou 'hit' the return-key of his virtual keyboard projected on his table with his gloved finger. It took him more than he had expected to find information on the fox lady's patient, Makimachi Misao, and in those 3 minutes extra, his curiosity was aroused.  
  
The document read: 'Makimachi Misao, age 19. Abandoned at five, she was sent to the Kyoto Charity Orphanage. At age 15, she succeeded in running away from the institution, which she colorfully referred to as 'Kyoto Infernal Jail for Children with Bitchy Parents ... '  
  
Saitou raised an eyebrow in amusement. Drawing the trash can closer with a movement of his long legs, he dropped the contents of the ash tray into, numerous cigarette butts falling. Putting down the empty ash tray, he scrolled down and continue reading. "Let's take a look at her behavior in the orphanage."  
  
' ... extremely hyperactive, she slept the last and woke up the first. Autodeclared a nonbeliever, she made the impossible to elude dominical mass, including faking death, starting an internal food protest movement, and getting the visiting priest drunk. She ran constantly into fights , often attacking her offenders with little knives stolen from the kitchen or who knows where. Never lost against less than five or five, twice her size. Misao refused to wear skirts or have her hair tied in a style other than her trademark ponytail, for which she was labeled a tomboy despite her natural beauty ... '  
  
The image had been shrinked, for space purposes probably. Saitou cursed. Either the photographer forgot to turn on the flash of the camera or the baka who edited the pic had a serious contrast-definition problem, the image was darker than night. He couldn't see anything!Saitou was about to amplify the image when the telephone rang and someone knocked the door in synchronization much to his dismal. He sent the file by fax to Megumi and saved the information on a disk, just in case.  
  
He picked up the phone telling Megumi to go check the fax machine, and hung the phone paying little attention to the small thanks coming from the other line.  
  
"Come on in."  
  
End of Flashback  
  
Megumi had just finished giving a summary of Misao's troubled life to Dr. Genzai, and expected him to lament the girl's sad life. He didn't.  
  
"It's better that way." he concluded, taking off his doctor's coat and handing Misao't medical board to Megumi, who took it dumbfounded at the doctor's statement.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Think of it. It would be sadder for both parts if she had a family. Being in coma is, as Nurse Masaki says, worse than being dead. It's an state of uncertainty. You're not dead, but neither alive." explained the doctor, leaving the room. "She's now in your hands, Dr. Takani."  
  
  
  
.~*~. Heaven Knows Where .~*~.  
  
Misao woke up feeling a little numb. "Ahh....My head hurts. Where am I?" She opened her eyes, cerulean orbs scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. She blinked. Smacked her head, blinked again. That didn't hurt. "Chikuso! Am I dead already or what?" She brought her right hand to her face and pecked her cheek hard. She sighed relieved. Her material body was still there so she couldn't possibly be dead. Wait! That didn't hurt either. "Don't panic, Misao. This is just a dream in which you've developed hurt-proof properties. That's all. To the count of three you'll wake up and it'll be all over." she said trying to sound covincing to her about-to-freak-out self. "One--"  
  
"Two..."  
  
"AAHHHH!!!!" Misao screamed jumping on her feet. "Who the hell are you??!!"  
  
"Konnichiwa Misao-chan." said the voice too cheerily for Misao's taste, never quitting that smile. "Gomen, I scared you. I come in peace."  
  
"Geez! Next time knock before." she pouted. "My heart almost jumped out my chest."  
  
"I promise." he said bowing deeply and smiling the brightest smile Misao had seen a young man smile ever. She blushed unwantedly but who cared? He was blushing too, bright crimson! And for some unknown reasons, he was also trying to avert his eyes from her.  
  
"Quit smiling, can you?" Misao faked annoyance but her mischievous smile exposed her intentions. She was going to wipe that smile from his handsome face, in her manner. Too bad the man dissapeared just in time. Dissapeared? "Huh?? Hey smiling-baka! Where are you? Come out right now!!!"  
  
"Sshhhhh... Screaming and swearing are prohibited in this area. Follow me." a new person, a woman this time, spoke. "But first, put this on." she said handing the white drapery to Misao who stood there stunned. That woman had wings!  
  
"Wi--Wings. You have wings!" she exclaimed in awe pointing to the woman's petite wings on her back.  
  
"Ahh these? We all have them."  
  
"Holy God I didn't believe in!! You're an angel!!" Misao exclaimed with double awe. The angel nodded. "Now put on the tunic, I can't take you to Master's in that state." she told Misao who was planning to tear off a feather of the angel's wing. "Ouuchhhh!!!" She did. "I'll tell Master about this, Misao!" the angel threathened Misao who was laughing heartily at her reaction.  
  
"Gomen-nasai!! It was just a little feather... You know, as a souvenir." Misao said grinning innocently. The angel rolled her hazel eyes. "Put on the tunic now, and let me finish my work in peace. Please?" she said and Misao picked up the tunic laying on the floor.  
  
"Wait. Why do I have to wear this? I'm clothed, and besides ... I don't like skirts!!!" Misao yelled and put her right hand inside the pocket of her black leather pants. Ooopss!! No pants! "WHAHHHHHH????!!! I'M NAKED!!"  
  
After Misao's freak out subdued and she put on the infamous tunic, and the angel's hearing was restored, they arrived at Master's place.  
  
"... so you're telling me I'm in coma in Earth, yet my soul and body are here?? How's that possible" Misao questioned the angel who pushed a big door open and motioned her to enter.  
  
"I'm not authorized to answer any of your questions. Master will answer everything you want, so walk in. He's waiting."  
  
"Master this, Master that....You've been brainwashed!! The aliens did it, didn't they?" The angel raised an eyebrow. "Let me correct that, ehehe... The demons did it, didn't they??!!" The angel sweat dropped, gave Misao a little pat on her back, muttered something that sounded like 'Pray God and the Devil make peace so that they can cure you', and left leaving Misao standing before the final door. A golden tablet with the inscriptions 'Shinomori Aoshi' was hanging on the richly worked wooden door. "Shinomori Aoshi" Misao repeated slowly tasting the words on her lips. She liked the name so what?  
  
She knocked the door with confidence. Repeatedly. Harder. After thirty seconds, Misao's patience ran out. She seized the doorknob. Locked. Taking a hairpin from her head, she prepared to have it open. "See if they make it like in Earth."  
  
But before she could try anything, the door swung open unexpectantly while Misao was almost leaning on it totally. 'It won't hurt' she reminded herself. 'It didn't hurt before, it shouldn't now.' She was going to fall facedown so she covered her face, but she never hit the floor. Strong arms held her up, and when Misao dared open her eyes, the only thing that escaped her lips was:  
  
"Ah Aoshi-sama!"  
  
~ ~ TBC ~ ~  
  
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Can you guess who the smiling baka is? ^-^  
  
Like it? Hate it? Leave me a review!!! ^_^ Reviews ARE reviews!!! lol@me ...'Til next chappie....Ja! 


	2. Chapter 2

Love Between Earth and Heaven  
  
By Anime no Miko  
  
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This fic is dedicated to all Aoshi and Misao fans, and specially to Noa for her unmeasurable devotion to the best RK couple ever!  
  
Usual disclaimers and claimers apply.  
  
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From previous chapter ...  
  
Strong arms held her up, and when Misao dared open her eyes, the only thing that escaped her lips was: "Ah Aoshi-sama!"  
  
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Chapter 2: Survey of god's office  
  
.~*~. Aoshi's Office .~*~.  
  
Misao raised her head slowly, her gaze on the 'man' who stood barely one feet apart holding her still. Her eyes travelled his form all the way up from feet to head, until they locked on the coldest pair of blue eyes she had ever met. Ice blue eyes. Beautiful ice blue eyes concealed by long black bangs. Before she lost herself in his eyes for eternity, he released the grip from her and she snapped out of it.  
  
Stepping back a distance, Misao's eyes widened. So she hadn't been dreaming. She had, standing in front of her in all his glory, the reincarnation of a Greek god, if not better. The ancient traditional white tunic having been replaced by a large white trench coat that suited his tall and muscular body amazingly good, adding to his overall cold elegance. "Ah Aoshi-sama!" she exclaimed. He merely looked at her for a moment, his face unreadable, before walking toward the desk and sitting behind on the grandfather chair. Misao didn't wait for the verbal invitation that wasn't coming anyways, and sat on one of the two chairs before the grand mahogany desk.  
  
He didn't speak for awhile and just sat there with his eyes closed and hands neatly folded resting on the desk. In the meantime he meditated, or so it seemed, Misao took the liberty to study her surroundings. The room itself was bigger than the apartment she rented, at least the one she used to rent when she was fully alive. It was probably twice its size or bigger. Everything laid neatly on its place, even the huge thing, obviously an statue, covered with a black mantle. It was on the left side of the room, accompanying two shelves filled up with an assortment of books, a great deal ancient ones she noted, and a huge files cabinet; the furniture against the wall and the statue standing on the bare polished wooden floor right in the center of a carved star-shaped figure. Misao didn't find anything amusing in statues or other museum and mansion's extravagancies, but this time she had to admit she would like to see the mysterious statue standing solemnly despite being concealed Nevertheless, she didn't try to peek, provided the fact that he might as well open his eyes, again in bad timing for her. Instead, she contented or rather busied herself while he still meditated or her tolerance for the unnerving quietness so permitted, surveying the rest of the place.  
  
The sound of gears rotating turned her attention to the right side of the room, where she found, the strangest clock she had ever seen before. The swivel base and the cupolated case made of crystal bore, scattered on their surfaces, hieroglyphics carved in gold. A winged clock dial was floating in the middle of the case, as if it were inside a vacuum, and it had no numbers or letters or hieroglyphs at all, just a long, black feather-shaped hand, which looked almost too real for Misao. The gears, located in the base, rotated sometimes lazily and others with dazzling speed, the feather- shaped hand not moving an inch. But the eeriest thing of all was the pool of dark bloodish liquid inside the case. It emerged from the nothingness tainting the transparent surface of the case in an ominous fashion heightened by the few, dramatic ray of lights that filtered through the window curtains drawn close.  
  
Averting her eyes from this sight, she turned her face and sat straight. How long would he meditate she ignored. The desk was clean except for some papers and a cup of tea. The back wall was bare, only two doors, each to a side, brought variation to its continuing immaculate, smooth surface. Moving her eyes upward, she was surprised when she noticed that hanging on the upper middle of the wall, instead of the expected cross or Buddha, or any other religious object, were a pair of Japanese swords, which she recognized to be twin kodachis. Misao made recollection of her survey of the place and it hit her that she hadn't seen any golden-winged cherubs with curly hair and rosy cheeks or scented flower arrangements in porcelain vases taking part in the decoration of the room either. But then, before she could utter a word, he finally spoke.  
  
"Makimachi Misao." he said slowly and she looked at him. "Infernal Jail for Children with Bitchy Parents? ..."  
  
"What? That place was prison and bitchy is a mild adjective. In fact, parents that abandon their children deserve worst. They shouldn't even be called parents!" Misao justified herself promptly.  
  
"Aa."  
  
"You should know. You're God, are you not? The angel that brought me here referred to you as 'Master.' " she questioned him with eagerness.  
  
"Certainly, but I'm not God." Aoshi explained. "I am one of the gods, the chieftain of the Angelic Kingdom."  
  
"Nani? One of the gods? How many gods there are? Don't tell me there's a promiscuous Zeus, a jealous Hera, a belligerent Athena, a drunken Bacchus, a coquettish Venus, no wait it's Aphrodite, and I don't continue because I don't remember more!" Misao said noticing the small smile creeping across Aoshi's impassive face.  
  
"I see you learned a little of Greek mythology." he said and Misao grinned.  
  
"That's good but how many gods there are does not concern you now. You need only to know who I am and who you are to be temporarily."  
  
"And they say I'm mean!" she exclaimed throwing her arms up in a gesture. "Who am I to be then, and why temporarily. You guys should release my body from earthly life and let it die and in peace."  
  
"That's not recommendable." he stated.  
  
"What do you mean?" Misao inquired.  
  
"You'll need it when you go back to 'earthy life.' You could be dead by now, but you was given a chance. You're here because you've been chosen to temporarily join the elite of dark angels for a special assignment, which will be revealed to you at the proper time." Aoshi explained to an infuriated Misao.  
  
"For goodness sake! I mean, heaven controls earth, right? So you were the one who sent me into coma and now want me to be grateful? You're using me selfishly!" she bellowed in annoyance. "No one orders me out! I'd rather be dead."  
  
"Impossible. It's not your time yet, you belong to earth. And that's where you're going after you carry on your assignment and all of this finishes."  
  
"What if I don't want?" Misao replied defiantly.  
  
"I'm not sure myself, but it certainly won't be anything pleasurable." Aoshi said and Misao gulped involuntarily. "We need not to worry, however, since I know you'll go on with the assignment." he soothed and she nodded slightly. "But first, read this carefully." Aoshi said and handed her a small book. "All the rules, the 'must' and 'must not' are detailed there."  
  
Misao took the book and flipped its parchment pages, as if estimating the time it would take her to read it. Then she remembered the hieroglyphs on the clock and out of curiosity, ask about them.  
  
"That clock is of my personal use and not even my angels know its methods." he answered. She then asked about the statue and the kodachis without better luck.  
  
They agreed upon meeting as soon as Misao finished reading the book and learning the rules, to finish the conversation; Aoshi's revelations an enlightening for Misao on her temporarily home, and Misao's reactions and amusement for Aoshi.  
  
"And Makimachi-san ..."  
  
"What, Aoshi-sama?" she said the '-sama' partly with bitterness for his attitude, but above all because she simply felt like. After all, it suited him.  
  
"You will need more than a hairpin to open a lock in heaven, above all this one." he told her, saving the "That is of course, if opening one was ever in your hands" part.  
  
Misao murmured a barely audible "We'll see, Aoshi. We'll see," which Aoshi heard perfectly, and with her book in hand walked through the door and closed them behind her without looking back.  
  
Unknown to both were the keys they were to held and the locks these would open.  
  
~ ~ TBC ~ ~  
  
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The smiling baka trivia was intended to be a piece of cake! I bet you can't guess what does Aoshi have beneath the mantle, or better who will Misao meet next! Good luckie! Ja! ^-^ 


End file.
